Apparatus for treating crude petroleum



March 4, 1930. G. A. STAFFORD ET AL 1,749,235

APPARATUS FOR TREATING CRUDE PETBQLEUM Filed Feb. 16, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet l INVETOQ A W? ATTORNEYI March 4, 1930. G. A. STAFFORD ETAL 1,749,235

APPARATUS FOR TREATING CRUDE PETROLEUM Filed Feb. 16, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 g INVENTOR/ By (M4404 0. We.

tente d Mar 4,1930 I p I I i V v a J-U-N1T D s'rArssP TENT OFFICE 5. IenoRGE A gSTAFFORD AVN'D CHARLES ID. 000K; or soUR'LAKE, TEXAS{APPARATUS r03 TREATING CRUDE PETROLEUM Application filearebm r 16,1925. Serial No. 9,629;

-' -This invention relates to new and useful Areturn line 11 isprovided, which is oonnectimprove cuts in an apparatus fo r treatinged,;at one'end, into the bottom of the con- 'crudepetroleum.denser'tank'Gand said return line enters One objectoftheinvention is'toprovide through the top of the tank 1 and depends 5 an, apparatus of thecharacter described down andterminates near the'bottoin' of said wherebythe vapor or gas given off from crude tank 1, so 'as to be submerged inthe oil thereist'ofbe delivered. I y I p q I q p I v 1 YThe oillas'treatedby thisflproce'ss needfnot a pressure gauge as 19, 20, theformer to in- 65 g "drawings,wherein oil, rnay be saved andused in thetreatment in, and said end is flared forminga discharge ofc'rudef oil,vand whereby the said gas "may be nozzle 12.", Incorporated in thisreturn line I re int-roduce d' into, and mixed with the oilfthere'is-apump 13, preferably'ofthe rotary '10 thereby"improving, or raising thegravity and A type, andfconnected to'and driven by the moquality of theoil, as well as making the same tor 14. On eaclrsideof the pump'thereturn more fluent, so that the oi'l' wil'l jmorereadily' line isprovided with agate valve, as 15,16. flow through the pipe line throughwhich'it j and a one-way back pressure valve as 17 18.

' The lines 7' and 11 areeach equippedwith' be heated, so the processmay be designated dioate the pressure of the'vapor through the as" thecoldprocess oftreating crude oil. line 7 and the-latter to indicate thepressure.

I With'the above and other objects in view in the line 1 1. Theindicated pressure of the i tlfisinventionhas particular relation to'acerlast inentionedgauge, will also reveal aptain novel, process andcertain novel features proximately the quantity of oil in the tank 1. 70

offconstruction, operation andarrangeinent Y The gas acculnmulating inthe tank 1, above for"carryingonisaidsprocess,an example of the oiltherein will pass through the line 7 said constructionbein'g'describedin this spec and will be ,partlyfcondensed by the 'coil 8 ification andillustratedin the accompanying and tank 6 into liquid form. If desiredthe Figure l'shows aside elevation, partly in tank 6'through the draincock 21 at its hots'ection, ofth'eapparatus and tom. The gas,' and1iquid in the tank 6 is Figuref2 shows a side view, partlyin secforcedby pressure in the tank 1, or by the tioii'of'anotherY'forrn ot-theapparatus. um 13-if necessary,baok through the re-,

" 'Referring now moreparticularly .to "the. turn line 11 an'd'discharged into the crude so drawings, wherein likenu merals ofreference oil near the bottom of the tank 1. This gas designate similar'parts in each'of'the' figures, and liquid" will be reincorporated into"the the num'eral l designates an oil tank, pr'efer' crude oil and willraise the gravity and -ably"c'on structed ofsteehand formed air qualitythereof," thus saving the gas which 351 tightIf'Grude oil is'adinittedto, and-withat present is 'wasted',- and making the crude I from saidtank,at' or near its bottom, oil'lighte'r and morefiuenu-so that it willrun through the linefl, which is controlled by n'iore'readily throughthe line. A branch dis-1 q a the gate valvesfi, The water settlingslincharge'line 22 leads from the discharge of the r the tank maybedraWnfofft-hrough the lin'e pump 13, is equipped with a one-way back 4,eontrolled by the gate valve 5;

pressure valve 23 and a gate valve 24 and en- I i' The numeral 6designatesa'c'ondenser'tank ters the reserve tank 25. This tankis proanda line iis eonnected one end, into the I vided to take care of the:surplus gas, not

top ofthe tank 1", above the oil therein, and needed in treating theoil. Aservice line26, is forrned into a coil 8*ab0v'e the=c ondenserfcontrolled-by theshutofl valve 27, leads from I fi tankandits'otherendis connected into said thijstank and throughwhich the gas thereinlast-*riarnedytanlci v s m'aybedrawn ofi foruse. A safety line 28-"-The' line 7 has a i air inlet nozzle- 9, corn leads'from'the tank25and is controlled by a tr'o'l'ledbythe valvej10;'Thisvalve may-bebackpressure safety'valve 29,vand itsfree .openedttoadmitair}int'ofifthe tank 1 when oil; end is submerged in water intheopen tank 7 is 'beihgrun therefrom -throughthe-line so;Thissatetyline-relieves thetank 25 from is liquid may/be drained out ofthecondenser 75 excessive pressure and in case the free gas shouldbecome ignited the water trap" de tank. A. flow line .33, connected withthe wells conducts the oil, either by gravityv or pressure into the topof the oil tank 31. This I tank has the bottom valve control drain line34 to drainolf water and above it the gauge cocks35, 35 for ascertainingthe quantity of oil in said tank. i i c v a A delivery line 36 connectssaidtanks, near the top, through whichthe oil from the top of the tank31 is delivered into the tank 32, the

'receivingend of this line being vbelow the oil level in theseparatingtank 31. The gas accumulating in the tank 31 above the oil isconducted through the gas line 37 which leads from the top thereof andenters through the side rof the treating tank 32 and is formed into aperforated coil 38, located within and near, the bottom of saidlastnamed tank so asto'be submerged in the oil therein. This coil maybecovered with suitablewire mesh if desired, The gas line 37 has asuitable one" wayback pressure valve 39 and isequipped with a gas meter40 to measure the quantity.

of gas flowing through the line. 7

A gas flow line 41 is connected with gas producing wells, in the field,at one end and its other end is connected into the gas line 37 betweenthe valve 39 and the meter 40, so

that, if desired, the gas' from said wells, commonly called casing headgas may be used in the oil treatment, and, thu'sjsavedinstead of beingwasted as at present. The gas flow line 41 is equipped with "a pressurepump 42,

which, if the normal pressure is not sufiicient,

may be'used to force the gas through either line37 or 41, or both, intothe oil in thetreating tank 32, through the perforated-coil"38.

'Onone side of'the pump the line 41 isequipped with a shut ofi valve 43and a one, way back pressure'valve 44 and on the other side of the pump,and located between the pump and meter 40 the line 41 is equipped withacne wayloack pressure valve 45.,

Gas accumulating in the treating tank 32,

is conducted through j thecirculating line 46, one endof which isconnected into the'top of the treating tank-.32 and, whose other end isconnected into the gas-flow line 41 between the valve 43 and thepump'42.This arrangement provides for the'constant reintroduction ofgas'intothe'oil in-the treating tank to the end'that itmay be kept thoroughlysaturated 5 with the volatile elements tending to escape from it. 'Areserve'gas tank as 47 may be in-: corporatedinto the line 46 ifdesired.

The treated oil is drawn off from the 'treat-.

ery line 48. In drawing the'oil off from ,this tank air is admittedinto' the tank,

through the air inlet 49, at the top of the tank, which is 50. a c 7 Atthe bottom of the tank 32 there is awater drain cook 51, andarrangediabove, the devided to test the oil level in said tank,

The apparatus illustrated in Figure 2 is merely illustrativeof theprinciple employed,

ing tank through thevalve controlled delivcontrolled the inlet valvelivery line 48 there is a gauge cock 52 proi as a plurality ofseparating tanks and treatf' ing tanks would'have to be employed inorderto'make the apparatus of practical utilit-y for general use inconnection with oil field operations. v

What we claim is :-c

An apparatus of the character described including a separating tankadapted to coni tain oilto a certain level, atreating tank, a

flow line entering the separatingtank, a-delivery line connecting saidtanks near the I tops thereof, one end of which is connected 7 into theseparating tank beneath theo oil level thereof,a gas line connected intothe top of the separating tank-and terminating within the treating tank'near the bottom thereof, a

back pressure valve controlling said gas line,

a gas flow line connected into said gas line between said valve and thetreatingrtank,'a: shut ofl 'valve'controlling the gas flow; line, acirculating line one end; of which is con; nected into-the top ofthestre'ating tank and whose otherend is connected into said'gasf flowline between saidshut ofl' valve and back pressure valve. a V l 2.Anapparatus of the character described including separating tank,adapted to contain.

oil to a" certain level,,a treating tank, a; flow 1 line enteringtheseparating tank, a-delivery line connectingsaid tanks at their upperends one end of whichris connected into vthe separating tank beneath theoil level thereof, a,

gas lineconnected into the top to the separatingtankandterminatingwithin the treating I I tank near the bottom thereto, a backpressureoneend of whichis connected into thetop of the treating tank andwhose othr end is con-j nected into said gas flow line between said shutoffvalve andback pressure valve, anda pressure-pump connected: into saidgas flow.

3. An apparatus of the character-described 1 i valve controlling saidgas line, a gas flow line connected into said gas line, between saidvalve and trea'tingtank,ashut ofl' valvecontrolling thegas flow line, acirculating line including separating tankadapted to contain 5 oil to acertain level, atreatingtank, a flow I line enteringtheseparating tank,a deliveryline connecting said tanks,tone"end of which is connectedintothe separating tank beneath the oil level thereof, a gas line connectedinto the separating tank, above the oil level therenected into saidgasflow line between said 7 in, and terminating WlthiIl'thB treatingtank near the bottom thereof, a back pressure valve 7 I controlling saidgas line, a gas flow line con nected into said gas line between saidvalve and the treating tank, a shut 01f valve controlling the gas flowline, a circulating line a one end of Which is connected into the top ofthe treating tank and Whose other-end is conshut off valve and backpressure valve, a

' pressure pump connected into said gas flow -line', and one Way backpressure valves in said gas flow line oneon each side of said f pump. 1

' In testimony whereof We have signed onr names to this specification. 7

GEORGE A. STAFFORD. 7

CHARLES D. COOK.

I as

